Electrical fixture with convenience outlet



Oct, 30, 1928. 1,689,232

I v. R. DESPARD ELECTRICAL FIXTURE WITH CONVENIENCE OUTLET Filed June 18, 1924 STATES VIGTOB R. DESPD, 01F VAL? a. 1.

ISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOE. T MCGILL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, 0E VALIABAISO, HTDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA,

ELECTCAL EETUBE WITH CONVENIENCE OUTLET.

Application filed June 18, 1924. Serial No: 720,778.

My invention relates to electrical fixtures and more particularly to an electrical fixture. provided with a convenience outlet.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide an electrical fixture provided with a canopy with a convenience outlet mounted in said canopy. The device may be any electrical fixture that has a canopy or other plate-like member that lies adjacent a wall, ceiling, or other surface, although in the form shown, the device is applied to a bracket fixture such as used in bathrooms.

It is more particularly a purpose of the invention to provide an electrical fixture comrising a canopy or other member lying adacent a surface with means carrying the contacts for the convenience outlet, said means lying on-the inside, preferabl of said canopy or other member lying a jacent a surface such as a wall.

It is still a further purpose of the invention to provide a canopy which may be of any desired material, an which has a convenience outlet provided with an internal detachably mounted insulating member carrying the contact blades and wiring terminals for the convenience outlet and for.

the electrical devices carried permanently by the fixture, such as a lamp socket.

It is more particularly a pur ose of the invention to provide a canopy 0 insulating material carrying an insulating mountin for the contact terminals that are adapte to be engaged by a plug or other suitable means, said canopy being provided with slots or openings in alignment with said insulating mounting for the contacts thru which the contact blades of the plug are adapted to be pro'ected.

It is another 0 ject of the invention to provide a canopy of the above mentioned character which can be very easily wired; the insulating member carrym the terminals for wirln being prefera ly detachably mounted, t e means for mounting the same being conveniently accessible from the forward side of the canopy. It is a simple matter to remove the contact carrying disc from the canopy, attaching the wires to the pro or terminals thereon, these being the a s from the circuit and the leads to the fixture, without the necessity of using any tape .or solder after this has been done, the wires and the contact carrying member are pushed under the canopy and the canopy is put in place whereu on the contact carrying member is secured in place by means of a screw or other fastening device which is operable from the front side of the canopy.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accompanying drawings proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person smiled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of an electrical'fixture embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially at 'ht angles to Fig. 1;

lFig. 3 is a fragmentary inside view of the device; and

Fig. 4 is a section thereof taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings in Fig. 1 is shown a wall portion upon which is mounted an electrical fixture comprisin the bracket 11 havin a screw threade socket portion 12 wit which the screw threaded tubular member 13 of the fixture is engaged, said member 13 having slots 14 through which the conductors 15 and 16 from the fixture pass. 7 v

The fixture is shown in the drawings as being provided with a husk 17 which may be of insulating material and which carries a switch mechanism operated by the operating member 18 and which is provided with a socket/for receiving a lamp l9. The wall 10 is provided with an opening through which the cable 20 passes which contains the leads 21 and 22 coming from the line, Housing the bracket 11, the leads 21 and 22, and the conductors 15 and 16, is a canopy 23 which is provided as is customary,.w1t an outwardly projecting hollow boss ortion 24 provided with an opening 25 t rough which the tubular member 13 passes and with a flange portion 26 that is adapted to rest against the wall or other surface 10.

The husk 23 may be made of any desired material but in the form shown, is preferably made of insulating material such as porcelain. The lower portion of the husk 1n Fi s. 1 to 3 inclusive is shown as being provi ed with a thickened ortion 27 adjacent the flange 26. The thic ened portion 27 is provided with a rearward pro ection 28 upon which is mounted a contact carrying member com risin a layer of insulating material 29 w ich EJIIIIS the body portion of said device and upon which is mounted a pair of metal terminals or contact plates 30 and 31. Said contact plates 30 and 31.

are provided with suitable terminal screws 32, 33, 34, and 35 for securing the conductors from the fixture and the leads from the line thereto. Thus, for example, the lead 21 is shown as being secured under the head of the screw 32, the conductor 15 is shown as being secured under the head of the screw 33, the conductor 16 is shown as bein secured under the head of the screw 34 an the lead 22 is shown as being secured under the head of the screw 35. Thus the leads 21 and 22 are electrically connected respectively with the conductors 15 and 16 permanently, without any interference of the convenience outlet and its plug therewith. Clamped under the metallic members 30 and 31 are the base ortions 36 of the yieldable contact mem rs 37 having the inturned ends 38 with whichthe contact blades 39 on the plug 40 engage. Thus, an electrical device to which current is fed b the conductors 41 and 42 carried by the p ug 40 will be supplied with current from the leads 21 and 22 throu h the metallic plate members 30 and 31-an the contact fingers 37.

A backing 43, of insulating material is provided rearwardly of the member 29 and said members 30, 36, 29 and 43 are secured together by means of a rivet 44. In a similar manner the plate 31, the member 36, the member 29 and the member 43 are secured together b a rivet 45. Secured to the members 29 an 43 by means of the short rivets 46'is a. transversel extending or vertically extending strip 0 metal 47 which is provided with a screw threaded opening for receiving the screw threaded end 48 of a screw 49 extending through a suitable opening in the thickened portion 27 and havin a head 50 seated in a recess 51 provide outer face of the canopy 23.

The body portion 23 of the canopy is provided with a pair of slots 52 for accommodating the tongues 39' on the plug 40. The slots 0 11 into the passagewa s or openin 53 in t e thickened portion 2 in which t e contact fingers 37 are arranged so that the contacts 39 on the plug will engage with the ends 38 of the members 37 y providin the ing the central rib or projection 28 on the portion 27, the contact carrying member is spaced from the rear side of the enlargement 27 a slight distance when the screw 49 is tightened up clampin said member against the rib 28. The thic ened portion 27 may be of any desired shape but is made arcuate as shown in Fig. 3 to conform to the shape of the canopy.

It will be noted that with the arrangement shown, thecontacts 37 will always be alive and will not be affected by operation of the switch 18 as these are connected in parallel with said switch due to the contact plates 30 and 31 to which the terminal screws 32, 33, 34, and 35 are connected.

It will also be noted that the contact carrying member 29 can be readil disengaged from the housing or canopy by operating the screw 49 from the front of the canopy after which all the connections can be easily made without the use of tape or solder by securing the conductors to the screws 32,33, 34 and 35, it being obvious that the'exact arrangement described is not necessary as long as one conductor leading to the fixture is connected to, the same plate as'one of the leads from the source of current and the other conductor to the fixture is connected to the other lead. After all connections have been made, all that is necessary is to place the contact carrying plate in such a position that the opening therein will ali with the screw 49 after which the screw is passed through suitable openings in the members 29 and 43 into engagement with the threaded opening in the plate 47 to thus clamp the contact carrying member in engagement with the th ckened portion 27, the various conductors assuming suitable positions within the canopy by merely pushing the same within the recess in the same. In this manner, a very easily wired and convenient fixture is provided which is veg neat in appearance.

aving thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a cup-like member having a central projection provided with an o enin therein and having a flattened wa portion provided with a pair of openings spaced from said first mentioned opening, a contact. carrying member detachably mounted in the hollow of said cup-like member and on the inner face thereof opposite said pair of openings and a pair of contacts on said contact can ing member extending into said paired opemngs.

2. In a device of the character described, ahollow enclosure member of insulating material having a pair of .slots therein, an insulatin contact carryin member mounted on the inner face of mi enclosure member opposite said slots and securing means for said contact carrying member extending through said enclosure member, said enclosure member having a thickened portion pro- Vided With an inward projection against which said contact carrying member is clamped by said securing means, said contact carrying member being provided with VICTOR R. DESPARD. 

